Please join me in congratulating Charlie Wapner on his promotion from Information Policy Analyst to Senior Information Policy Analyst effective in January 2016.

Many of you know Charlie through his leadership on 3D printing. He completed a major report, “Progress in the Making: 3D Printing Policy Considerations Through the Library Lens,” which attracted library and general press coverage (e.g., Charlie contributed to a piece by the Christian Science Monitor), and he was invited to write an article for School Library Journal based on his report. Charlie also produced a more accessible, shorter report on 3D printing, in collaboration with United for Libraries and the Public Library Association, and in December 2015, released a report on the merits of 3D printing and libraries targeted to the national policy community as part of our advocacy in conjunction with the Policy Revolution! initiative. Charlie was invited to present at a number of venues,
such as the Dupont Summit and a workshop at Virginia Tech, and invited as an expert to a 3-day workshop hosted by Benetech (under an IMLS grant) in Silicon Valley.

Notwithstanding the import of Charlie’s 3D printing contributions, the large majority of his time is dedicated to the extensive and wide-ranging research and analysis that he provides under the rubric of the Policy Revolution! initiative. With general (or even vague) direction, Charlie clarifies research needs, finds and digests relevant material, and writes syntheses on topics from veterans’ services and entrepreneurship to broadband and youth and technology. In the past few months, Charlie’s research and analysis has extended to informing our work to identify new collaborators (e.g., funders) and specifically to identify new funding opportunities for OITP and for the Association generally. Going forward, Charlie also will be increasing his focus on international policy work.

Charlie came to ALA in March 2014 from the Office of Representative Ron Barber (Ariz.) where he was a legislative fellow. Earlier, he also served as a legislative correspondent for Representative Mark Critz (Penn.). Charlie also interned in the offices of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) and Governor Edward Rendell (Penn.). After completing his B.A. in diplomatic history at the University of Pennsylvania, Charlie received his M.S. in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University.

About Alan Inouye

Alan S. Inouye is the director of ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy. Previously, he was the coordinator of the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee in the Executive Office of the President and a study director at the National Academy of Sciences. Alan completed his Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley.